


Just Cause

by theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 22:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3546863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs/pseuds/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ino was always so used to getting her way 'just cause'</p><p>(updated 3/24/2015)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Cause

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my joint project with tsubasa_1742: Confessions of Love

Ino was a temperamental spoiled rotten brat.

There was no other way of saying it. It just was true.

She was bossy, stubborn, easily angered, vain and prideful.

She never denied it but she'd never want to hear it.

But she was one of the most loyal, sincere, caring, dedicated, loving and thoughtful person Shikamaru had ever met.

He'd met her first on her fourth birthday party.

He'd been long friends with Chouji before and they'd always hear their parents tell them about some girl they were going to be friends with.

They'd never met her before because her father didn't want her leaving the house until she was old enough to tell her full name, address, and parents’ name and of course, learn to read where the police and jounin stand by station was.

Inoichi just seemed over-protective of his baby Ino like that. If Inoichi hadn't been a shinobi, no, if he could've dissuaded Ino from the shinobi life, he would have done so.

So they met her and she was everything Shikamaru disliked about girls; his opinion being formed with his countless cousins and acquaintances outside the clan compound.

_"Ino, these are Shikamaru and Chouji," Inoichi introduced the platinum blonde hair girl with cold blue eyes as she threw aside a doll she'd just gotten from an aunt. She wore a small frown and inspected the two boys. "These are your new best friends!"_

_Shikamaru stared back as coldly while Chouji smiled good-naturedly._

_Shikaku ruffled Shikamaru's hair, sensing the stare down would lead to tension that would lead to a fight._

_"Where're my gifts?" She asked pointedly, noting their empty hands. Everyone had given her gifts. It was her birthday today and everyone gives the birthday girl gifts._

_They looked at her questioningly, not speaking._

_"It's my birthday. Gifts!" She held out her hand._

_Inoichi laughed and ruffled his own daughter's head._

_Shikamaru frowned. It had been his birthday yesterday too but_ **_she_ ** _didn't drop by to give him any gift. He supposes that wasn't fair since they just met. But still._

_"My gifts!" She repeated, annoyed._

_"Why would I give you a gift?"_

_Chouji gawked at his friend. It's her birthday! You're supposed to give the celebrant a gift! Like he gave him that karuta set yesterday. He even got his otou-san to buy him his own set so they could play together. And did Shikamaru forget he gave him a handmade kite for his birthday a few months ago already?_

_Ino went puce. "It's **my** birthday!"_

_Was this boy stupid? Everyone knows you give presents on the birthday celebrant!_

_"So?" He coolly asked._

_"You give me a present! That's the rule!" She scowled. What a stupid boy!_

_“Says who?”_

_Ino’s hands curled into fists. “Says everybody!”_

_"Why?" He retorted, fighting a smirk in his face so she won't find out he was messing with her._

_"_ **_Just cause_ **_!" She yelled._

_Shikaku and Choza were at a loss to stop the escalating fight. And Inoichi was no help. He wouldn't control his girl. He just smiled at his precious child like nothing was wrong. Like she was a little angel who could do no wrong._

_Ino glared at Shikamaru. "Daddy, he doesn't have any present for me! Make him go!"_

_The Nara boy did not look fazed._

_Chouji immediately procured the present his own father had been holding and offered it to Ino._

_"Shikamaru and I bought it for you!" He told the blinking girl. "I heard my girl cousins like playing with them I hope you like them! Shikamaru chose them!"_

_Ino suspiciously looked at Shikamaru as she tore off the wrappings._

_It was a pair of hanetsuki. She liked the girls in the purple and pink kimonos on them._

_She sniffed and did not make a comment as she turned away. But they heard her mutter, "fine, they can stay!"_

Despite this bad first impression, they made best friends and best teammates.

Shikamaru could read her inside and out with a look despite her saying that his readings were wrong. They would have long been dead in some mission or another if he couldn’t interpret her every action.

She was troublesome as women and girls can go but she was his friend so he tried to listen and care and whatever it was that she wanted him to do. He was fond of her and it wasn’t even because of the dreams and fantasies he’d started to have with her when he started his puberty. He respected her and trusted her and loved her. So he pushed those away. Even if it made his adolescence hell and such a war of _morality and logic and hormones_ that he **_wished_** he could stop caring and just have his way with her.

She didn’t make it easy, either. What with being beautiful, perfect, screaming for his attention every minute when he was trying to stop his raging hormones (and then he’d _have_ to focus on her or she’ll beat him up but then he’d end up lost on daydreams of the soft skin she hid behind such skimpy clothing…). And as if a sadistic psychic, she’d always ask him if he liked anyone. At first, he’d blush and say ‘no’ outright. But then she’d get a creepy weird look that reminded him of times she wanted to use her kekkei genkai on some kid or another just because they annoyed her or ‘ _ **just cause**_ ’. So he learned to answer another way.

_‘Girls are too troublesome.’_

_‘I’ll marry the plainest civilian girl but I can’t be bothered to look now. I’m too busy.’_

_‘How can I think of even liking a girl when there’s a huge possibility of them becoming like my mom or you?’_

She’d take offense and try to beat him up but he’d usually get away most of the time.

Maybe his sense of beauty or plain-ishness was warped because he grew up with one of the prettiest girls in the whole land, but by the time he did start dating, it was a civilian girl from Yukigakure who was in town to visit family.

Her name was Amiko and she was definitely beautiful. She had long black hair, caramel colored eyes, red lips that made Shikamaru constantly think about kissing her whenever possible and perfectly flawless cream skin. She was a good cook, could play the _shamisen_ perfectly, was learned in language, arts and history and liked to play shogi with him. She was basically perfect.

Shikamaru believed he was falling in love with her and told his teammates and friends that he’s considering asking her hand in marriage even with only two months of meeting.

Ino, who’d always pushed him to date this girl or that girl so he could settle down and have babies and retire early as he always planned, was the last person he thought that would react badly to the announcement.

Whenever he brought Amiko along, she would do her best to ignore her or made subtle nasty remarks and made fun of her being oblivious to the ways of shinobi. Amiko, if she could tell, did not return any ill word. She’d always tell Shikamaru what a wonderful, brave and smart girl Yamanaka Ino is. That she could never become a kunoichi like her even if she wanted to be. Shikamaru would shrug.

* * *

Amiko was putting up her hair and adjusting her kimono when that annoying pounding started on his apartment door.

“It’s so early,” she said. “Who could that be?”

“Probably Ino,” he sighed and led her to the door as the knocker made herself known, shrieking his name and probably waking up the neighbors. “See?”

_“Shika! Wake up, you lazy bastard!”_

She smiled and kissed his cheek.

“I’m sorry I can’t walk you back home,” he said. “I need to finish this paperwork for the Hokage.”

_“Shikamaru! Open this door or I’ll break it down for you!”_

“I understand.” She smiled gently. “I’ll see you around.”

_“SHIKA, I’M COUNTING TO THREE!”_

He nodded and grumbled and opened the door and Ino stopped mid-count as her eyes fell on Amiko and Shikamaru.

“O-oh… I d-didn’t know you had company,” she murmured quietly. She nodded to Amiko. “ _Ohayo, Shiyaki-chan._ ”

“ _Ohayo, Ino-chan_ ,” Amiko smiled sweetly and seemed to not notice the small frown curling in Ino’s lips. “I must take my leave now. I’ll see you two around. Shikamaru-kun.”

Shikamaru nodded and they watched her leave. Once out of sight, Ino clicked her tongue and pushed Shikamaru aside letting herself in with a grumble. She headed to the kitchen and dumped a pack of homemade tea in his small counter.

“Oh,” he exclaimed. “Thanks, Ino! I was running out of these!”

Ino stepped away from him as he opened the box of the Yamanaka tea specialty which had more than fifteen flavors to their name. She sat herself on one of the stools rigidly.

“I’m going to make some,” he yawned. It was _too early_ for him after all. “You want a cup?”

“Hmmph,” Ino replied, crossing her arms and sitting on a stool, nose stuck in the air and eyes closed.

He looked at her for a second and thought better of asking. It would just be too troublesome. He settled on warming up some water and then rummaged on the fridge for some butter to make some toast.

By the time that tea had been served for both of them and the toast set between them as he sat on the stool opposite her, she still hadn’t spoken or moved.

She didn’t look at him. What the hell’s her problem? She’s seen him without a shirt on before.

“Oi, troublesome woman,” he called to her when he finished his second cup. “What’s wrong with you today?”

She turned to him with an angry glare, her blue eyes crystal steel. That look was her demanding him to read his mind because it was obvious and was he stupid? She always had a way body language and he’d learned to read her enough.

But still he didn’t get her at all. She’d been acting so weird lately and he couldn’t make out why. He shrugged. It’s too much effort. She probably had her period or whatever. Too troublesome to think about so early in the morning. And this was Ino. She’ll tell (no, scream) him when she’s ready. Or got ticked off that he hadn’t bother trying.

“Whatever.”

There was silence as he finished his toast and she glared at him without hinder.

He ate contentedly in silence. Savoring what little of it left he had. Ino would probably break soon. And then he’d let her rant to her heart’s content. So the next silence he expected would not be in another month.

When he got up to put away the dishes, she muttered softly, “you can’t marry her.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to her once he’d put the dishes on the sink and looked at her questioningly. What was she going on about now?

“Why not? She’s perfect.”

She seemed to wince in her seat. She wasn’t glaring now. There was softness in her eyes but a hint of determined anger. She was serious.

“She’s… she’s not perfect!”

“Give me one reason she isn’t,” he indulged her. What amazing stupidity had her brilliant brain come up with now?

She scowled at him and he smirked smugly. “You can’t even name one.”

“You can’t marry her!” She’d stood up and he noted the shaking fists on her side. He raised a brow and crossed his arms at her.

What was she so angry about?

Or was it anger or fear in her eyes?

Ino cared. She cared a lot. She knew marriage was a serious thing but he knew what he was going to get into and she knew he knew _that_ so what gives? What’s wrong then? Amiko was a good woman. She couldn’t even say anything wrong with her and Ino was the biggest tease in the world. One look and she’d find a weakness in you and tease you mercilessly about it with no end. Was it because Amiko was a foreigner? Was it because she thought he would go to Yukigakure with her because Amiko said she couldn’t bear being away from her family? Shikamaru would bring her entire clan here if he had to. Ino had nothing to fear. The dolt, really. A separation anxiety. So that’s what all it was.

“Ino, if you’re worried about me moving to Yuki, it’s not happening.” Shikamaru sighed and told his friend calmly. “I’m a Konoha nin---“

“You can’t marry her!” She yelled louder. “Do you get me?! You _**can’t**_!”

“And why not?” She was starting to get on his nerves. She should just stop beating around the bush and tell him. Hadn’t she learned anything over the past twenty-three years? He **_can’t_** read her mind.

She looked terrified and looked away, turning from him. Her shoulders went stiff and she sputtered out, **_“Just cause!”_**

There it was again. What a brat.

Shikamaru frowned. She was going too far. He’d spoiled her too much. Everyone had. Her father, his own father and Chouji’s and Chouji and even Asuma. She thinks she can get them all to do as she pleased. He’d let her have her way too many a time already. If he wanted to marry Amiko, she’d have to deal with it. He wasn’t staying single forever just because she wanted to!

“Amiko is a perfectly suitable woman, more suitable than anyone I know,” he snapped. “I like her. She likes me. We’re a good match---“

She didn’t let him finish as she rounded on him again. The tears in her eyes caught him off guard as she cried, “Yeah, so she’s perfect! She’s suitable! She’s what you want! Doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect for each other! You barely know each other and you want to marry her! Some of us are better fit for you, you idiot! She isn’t the only girl in the world!”

Shikamaru reached for her face, her words not reaching him quite yet. He was bothered by her tears. She always hated crying openly in front of him in fear of showing weakness that he might hound her with for the rest of her life. She _hated_ showing weakness around anybody, especially her teammates. She feared they would think low of her. To be the drag of the team. She kept thinking they tolerated her, her mistakes and her bossiness because they had to. They were the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. They couldn’t well leave her behind. But she wasn’t. She was strong and skilled and amazing. So to cry like this, something must be really wrong and he was at loss as to what exactly it was.

“Ino…”

She looked up to him with a scrunched face as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked so young and pained and it felt like something broke inside him. It hurt him to see Ino cry.

He was about to wipe her tears, those tears that wasn’t fit on her beautiful face, when she slapped his hand away.

“Some of us could be better for you if you gave us a chance!” She shrieked at him, surprising him. “I’m not perfect! I’m ‘ _troublesome_ ’! But I know I’m the one for you! I’m the best option! The only option! I’m _**perfect**_ for you too! More perfect! She’s just some pretty new girl! I’ve been here for you for most of our lives! I’m your girl! I love you, you moron!”

And before he knew it, she then grabbed his face with both perfectly manicured hands down to hers and kissed him in wild abandon. With everything that she had and every emotion she felt, she poured it into the kiss, into his mouth, into him. Hoping, _hoping_ , he would open his eyes and **see**.

And again before he could react, she was gone. Out his apartment and slamming the door behind her. Leaving him in shock with the taste of her tears and the sweet taste of her lips. 


End file.
